Traction-cable railway



(No Model.) V 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. '.P. HUNT.

TRACTION CABLE RAILWAY.

No. 387,592. Patented Aug. 7, 1 888.

F1 5. I .Z j j?" \g-w ix WITNESSES: j BNTOR BY Mu $6? I j ATTORNEYS.

N. PETERS, Fhukrlmmgrapiwr. Wlihingtun. DI c.

(No'ModeL) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2..

I J. P. HUNT.

TRACTION CABLE RAILWAY.

No. 387,592. Patented Aug. 7, 1888.

J". Jg J7 I-IiH- iijnilll ATTORNEYS.

N. PETERS. Hum-Litho ra her, Wuhiugtun, D.C

v UNrTa drarns ATENT rrrca,

JOHN P. HUNT, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

TRACTION-CABLE RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 387,592, dated August7, 1888.

Application tiled September 2, 1882. Serial No. 70,800. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,JOHN I, I-IUNT,of Philadelphia, in the county ofPhiladelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and ImprovedCable Traction Railway, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description.

My invention has relation to cable traction railways; and it has for itsobject simplicity, durability,and effective working of parts nec essaryfor the equipment of a system of railways, whereby the cost ofconstruction is materially cheapened,the expense of running andmaintenance reduced, the cars readily and easily stopped and startedwithout vibrating, jarring, or other annoying and dangerous mot-ions,andthe crossing lines of cables arranged to pass each other withoutinterference.

My invention accordingly consists of the novel construction,combination, and arrange ment of parts, as hereinafter described andclaimed, reference being had to the accom panying drawings, forming apart of this specification, in which similar lettcrs'of referengeindicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 represents a plan of the car and part of the trackway of myimproved cable traction railway, parts of same being broken out andothers shown in section; Fig. 2,a crosssectional elevation of same; Fig.3, a crossseetion of the cable-conduit; Fig. t, a longitudinal sectionalelevation of the car and part of the trackway, parts of the same beingbroken out and others shown in section; Fig. 5, an end view of the carand a cross-sectional elevation of the track and cable, and Fig. 6 aplan of the conduit and cable at a curve.

The platform A of the car rests on a truck, A, in which the axles A arejournaled, and have wheels B for running upon the track-rails 0, all ofwhich are constructed and arranged for operation in the usual or otherdesired manner.

Between the rails C a longitudinal troughshaped box or conduit, 1), isplaced, the top of which is preferably level with the surface of theroad-bed. The sections of the conduit are preferably secured to thesleepers D by suitable clips or other fastenings, D driven into thecross-ties and engaging with side flanges or lugs, D, at the bottom ofthe conduit-sections. The conduit has in its top a central longitudinalslot extending throughout its length,and from the slot outwardly the topof the conduit preferably inclines downwardly toward its sides, asshown. The slotin the top of the conduit proper is formed between theadjacent edges of inside flanges projecting from the top of the sides ofthe conduit, as illustrated, or, in other words, the sides of theconduit at their upper extremities approach each other to form the edgesof the slot in the conduit-sections. Upon the top of the conduit-sections are top plates, D having corrugations or recesses D formedin their upper surfaces for preventing the slipping of horses travelingover the same, and also having countersunk bolt-holes for bolts a, forfastening said plates D to the conduit-sections, so as to be removabletherefrom. The top plates, D form a narrower slot,D ,between them thanthat in the top of the conduit proper, as illustrated. The sides of theslot D are prefera bly made rounding, and it is wider at its top than atits bottom, as shown, to admit of greater lateral inclination andmovement of the grip or clutch-iron while traveling along in the slot.These plates D are used to avoid wear or damage to the top of theconduit-section proper by the travel of horses attached to othervehicles, and are made removable, so that they can when worn be replacedby other plates without necessitating taking up of any of theconduit-sections. Concave rollers or carrying or bearing pulleys E,having preferably one or more conical journals, are mounted incorrespondinglyshaped bearings in any suitable manner in the conduit forsupporting the traveling cable F.

Between the rollers or pulleys E and the bottom of the channels a gutteror drainagechannel, G, is formed, through which the water that flows inthrough the top slot is conducted to some suitable pipe which leads to awaste-pipe or sewer. If two conduits D cross each otheigboth cables arepreferably depressed, one passing under the other, in order to allow theclutch or grip to be disengaged from the cable and pass the crossing,and for this purpose I have provided a roller or pulley, E, at each sideof the under cable, F, and one roller or pulley, E, above the said undercable, the longitudinal axis of which is parallel with that of the undercable, F.

The cable F is passed over the rollers or pulleys E and under the rolleror pulley E. In like manner the under cable, F, is preferably passedover a roller or pulley, E, at each side of the cable F and under aroller or pulley, E", so that the said cable F passes under the cable F,and the two cables cross each other without interference and withoutinducing undue friction between them and the depressionpulleys.

At the intersections of the crossing conduits I), I provide a pipe, G,to conduct the water from conduit-drainage channel or pipe to the gutteror sewer.

To facilitate forming curves or bends in the line of the conduit, I mayprovide one end of each conduit-section with a socket, H, and the otherend of each section with a ball, H, so that the sections can easily beadjusted to have any desired inclination to each other in a horizontalplane; but they may be otherwise constructed as desired.

The cables are operated from some fixed station,as is customary in cablerailways. I prefer to use two clutches or grips, one at each end of thecar, and by so doing I am enabled to pass over crossing lines of cablerailways without depending upon the momentum of the car. The clutch orgrip J is formed of two jaws, K K, provided with extensions or arms K Kintegral tl1erewitl1,wl1ich jaws are pivoted to each other within theconduit between its top and the cable, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4-, so asto bring thepivot points or fulcrum of the jaws in as close proximity tothe upper surface of the cable as possible to admit of obtaining apowerful gripping engagement with the cable by a slight movement of thearms K K, and also to bring both the cable and jaws as near to the topof the conduit as is desirable to admit of using a narrow slot in theconduit, and a shallow depth of conduit capable of resting upon thesleepers and be ing secured thereto,as above described,for re ducing thesize and cost of the conduit; but said grip-jaws may be otherwisepivoted to geth er as desired.

The arms K of jaws K. are preferably attached to the lower ends of angle-levers M pi voted to the truck, which have their upper endspreferably connected by links m with a frame, 0, to the side bars ofwhich the upper ends of the curved or other brake-shoes l are pivoted.

If desired, the upper ends of the anglelcvers M can be connecteddirectly with the ends of the brakeframe O.

The jaws K are provided with anti-friction rollers b b,if desired, toprevent undue chafing and rapid destruction of the cables.

On one or both ends of the platform a vcrtical brake-shaft, I, isjourualed, which is shown provided at its lower end with a drum, 1,around which passes a chain, Q, which also passes around a drum, It,mounted on a vertical shaft, S, projecting downwardly from the bottom ofthe ear-floor and suitably journaled in the truck.

Above the drum It the drum It is shown mounted on the vertical shaft S,and below the drum It a drum, R is shown mounted upon the same shaft, S.To drum R chains S are attached,whieh run over pulleys d in the truck Aand pulleys c on the car-bottom A, and are then attached to the middleof the length of the chains S", the ends of which are attached to theframe 0. Chains P connect the side bars of the frame 0 with one of thearms Pof the brake-shoes l, which arms I. are pivoted together.

The chains S are attached to drum It" and pass over pulleys Y, journaledin the bottom of the truck, and are then attached to one of the arms 1of the brake-shoes P. Horizontal rods V are mounted upon the truck, andare provided at their opposite ends with pistons U, which [it incylinders U, held horizontally within the truck-frame at the ends. Thesaid cylinders preferably contain air only. \Vhen air is employed, thespring is made either by a vacuum or a compression, or both. Chains Yconnect the said rods 'V at the middle withthe ends of the bars or rodsL, to which the arms K of the clutches or grips are pivoted. The arms Kof the clutches are connected by means of brace-bars m with rods or barsL.

At curves the cable F passes between pulleys E E and forms a chord ofthe segment of the comluitchannel, as shown in Fig. 6. The said rollersarejournaled or pivoted in ahorizontal plane. The pulleys E turn thecable outward from the conduit channel, and the pulleys E prevent itfrom being cut by the edges of the openings in the conduit-channel.Pulleys are also used to keep the cable in place at low grades.

The operation is as follows: The jaws of the grip or clutch J are withinthe conduit D and at the sides of the cable which rest on the rollers E.If the car is to be propelled, the clutches or grip must grasp thecable. To accomplish this the gripman on the car turns the shaft I insuch a manner that the chains S wind up on the drum t and the chains Sunwind from the drum It. As the chains Sare wound on the drum It theframe 0 is raised, whereupon the brakeshoes are raised from thecar-wheels and the brakes released, and at the same time when the frame0 is thus raised the upper ends of the angle-arms M are also raised, thebars L moved toward the sides of the car, and the jaws K moved in theconverse direction-that is, toward the cable F, which they firmlyclutch, and the car is then drawn along by the cable. To stop the car orcheck its speed, the shaft 1 is turned in such manner that the chains Sunwind from the drum It and the chains S wind-on the drum As the chainsS" are wound on the drum It", the ends of the pivoted arms 1? of thebrake-shoes are moved downwardly, one of the arms P being slotted topermit of the movement therein of the pivot by which the two arms arepivoted together and the brakeshoes are pressed against the IIO wheels.At the same time the chains P draw the frame 0 downwardly, pressing theouter ends of the angle-arms M downward, thereby pressing the rods Ltoward each other,and in turn moving the jaws of the clutches or gripsaway from each other to release the cable. The brake-shoes are appliedand the car released from the cable at the same time and the cars stopvery quickly. WVhen the clutch or grip arrives at a crossing line ofcable, it is to be released from the cable until it travels beyond saidcrossing line,when it is again caused to engage with the cable. The gripis released from the cable at the crossing by repeating the operationthat releases it to stop the car.

If the clutches or grips are suddenly applied the car receives ashock,and to counteract this shock I provide the rods V, the pistons U,the cylinder U, and the springs W, which rods V are connected with therods L, which have aslightlongitudinal movementby thechainsY.

If the cable is suddenly engaged by the grips or clutches the strain ofthe same falls on the rods L,which then move longitudinally, and bymeans of the chains Y the rods V are drawn in the direction of the runof the cable, whereby the rod Vis pressed into the forward cylinder, U,to compress the spring or air in the same and thereby relieve orcounteract the strain and shock incident to too sudden starting of thecar.

It is evident that the details of construction and arrangement of partsherein described may be greatly varied without departing from the spiritof my invention, and I therefore do not confine myself to the particularconstruction and arrangement shown and described for said parts exceptwhen such specific construction constitutes the only novel feature of myimprovements.

What I claim is 1. In a cable railway, the combination,with a car, of aframe, brakclevers pivoted to the same, pivoted angle-levers, a clutchor grip connected to said levers, and means for raising and lowering theframe, substantially set forth.

2. In a cable railway, the clutch or grip J, formed by the pivoted jawsK, attached to the arms K, connected with the pivoted anglelevers M,which are operated from the car, as and for the purpose set forth.

8. In acable railway, the combination,with the clutch or grip jaws K, ofanti-friction rollers I), mounted on the same, for the purpose setforth.

4. In acablc railway, the combination,with the clutch or grip J, of thearms K, rods L, the pivoted angle levers M, and the frame 0, carryingthe brake-shoes P, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. Ina cable railway, the combination, with the frame 0 and thebrake-shoes P, pivoted to said frame, of a cable clutching or grippingdevice pivoted to the same frame, substantially as set forth.

6. In a cable railway, the combination, with the frame 0, of thebrake-shoes P, the pivoted described.

angle-levers M, the arms K, the clutch or grip J, the chains S and S andthe shaft S, provided with the drums R and It, and the chains Psubstantially as herein shown and 7. In a cable-railway car, thecombination, with the clutch or grip J, of the rods L, the chains Y, therods V, the cylinders U, piston U, and the springs WV, substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

8. In a cable railway, the combination, with the curved channel D, ofthe cable F and the anti-friction rollers or pulleys E and E,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

9. In a cable railway, the combination, with the trough-shaped channelD, having its top inclined from the center out-ward,and provided with alongitudinal slot, D", in the top, of the top plates, D", substantiallyas set forth.

10. In acable railway, the two channel-sections D, one provided with aball end, H, and the other with a socket end, H, combined with eachother, substantially as set forth.

11. In acable railway, the combinatiomwith the channel D, of the rollersE E E E, all constructed and arranged substantially as herein shown anddescribed, whereby the cables are depressed at a crossing and. one madeto pass beneath the other, as set forth.

12. In a cable railway, a car having brake shoes provided withtoggle-jointed levers, a clutch or grip for the cable, and actuatingmechanism for the toggle-jointed levers of the brake and for the clutchor grip, substantially as set forth.

13. In a cable railway, a car having a vertically'moving frame, 0,brakeshoes P, secured to said frame, and having toggle-levers P, incombination with actuating mechanism for the brake-shoes and frame,substantially as set forth.

14. A cable-motor car having a grip and actuating mechanism therefor,and brakeshoes having toggle-jointed levers, frame 0, and actuatingmechanism, substantially as set forth.

15. In a cable-motor car, a Windlass or drum, R, R, and It", orequivalent, secured to the car and having chain-connection with thebrake-shoes and the grip or grips of the car, substantially as and forthe purpose set forth.

16. In a cable railway, a depression roller or pulley, E, as and for thepurpose set forth.

17. In a cable railway, a depression or deflecting roller or pulley, asand for the purpose set forth.

IS. The combination, with crossing lines of a cablemotor-railway system,of a depression pulley or pulleys for one of the cables of the crossinglines, substantially as set forth.

19. The combination, with crossing lines of a cablemotor-railway system,of depression rollers or pulleys at the crossing lines for depressingone or more cables, as set forth.

20. In a cable railway, the combination of a line of car-tracks, aslotted conduit, 1), located between the tracks and resting upon the IIOsleepers D, and bent plateclips, one end of each of which engages withthe conduit and the other is bolted to sleepers I), for holding theconduit in position upon said sleepers, substantially as set forth.

21. In a cable-motor railway, a slotted conduit located between thetracks and having at its top inside edge flanges or projections anddetachable top plates upon said projections, which plates extend alongthe entire length of the conduit, substantially as set forth.

22. A cable-railway conduit having at its top inside edge flanges orprojections and detachable top plates, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

23. A cable-railway conduit having at its top inside edge flanges orprojections and scpzr rate and detachable top 'plates, substantially asset forth.

24. In a cablc'motor car, the combination of a clutch or grip, J,longitudinally-sliding rods L, connecting mechanism between theclutch-jaws and rods, and actuating mechanism for the rods,substantially as set forth.

.25. In a cable-motorcar, a pair of clutch or grip jaws, K K, pivoted toone another, and each jaw having connection with longitudinallyslidingrods L, and mechanism for act-uating said rods, substantially as setforth.

26. In a cable-motor car, longitudinallysliding rods L and two gripattachments in connection with and operated by said rods, substantiallyas set forth.

27. A cable-motor cur having two grips operated to simultaneously actupon the cable, separate or independent arms or supporting bars for eachgrip, and one grip being in advance of the other, as and for the purposeset forth.

28. The combination, with a conduit having a channel, D, of a eablemotorcar having a i J, formed of two jaws, K K, pivoted to each other attheir upper ends within the channel I), substantially as set forth.

29. The combination, with a conduit having a channel, D, of acable-motor car having a grip, J, formed of two jaws, K K, pivoted toeach other at their upper ends within the channel I) and curved in thedirection of the cable, substantially as set forth.

30. The combination, with a conduit having a channel, I), of a carhaving a grip, J, the jaws K K being pivoted to one another immediatelyabove the cable and below the conduit-slot, substantially as set forth.

31. In a cable-motor railway, a car having a grip, J, comprising thejaws K K, pivoted at their upper ends, and the vertical arms K Ii, soconstructed as to permit its easy movement in the slot of a conduit oneinch or less in width, substantially as set forth.

32. A cable-motor car having two separate grips operated tosimultaneously act upon the cable, in combination with suitable mountings, whereby they may have a sliding move ment in the direction of thelength of the car when acting upon the cable, substantially as setforth.

33. Inacable railway,the combinatiomwith longitudinally-sliding rods andgripjaws secured to said rods, of cylinders and rods provided withpistons at their ends working in said cylinders and connected to saidsliding rods, substantially as set forth.

34. The combination, in a cable motor railway, of a slotted conduit, acar having a clutch or grip attachment with one or more cylinders closedat both ends, and one or more plungers or pistons for preventing thejolting or shocks incident to starting the car, substantially as setforth.

3:). In a cable-motorcar, the combination of a grip attachment with thehorizontal rod V, having two pistons or plungers, U, andcyliir ders U,substantially as set forth.

36. In a cable railway, a car having two independent or separated grips,one in advance of the other, brake shoes for the eanwheels, andactuating mechanism for applying the brakes when the grips are releasedor out of action and for releasing the brakes when the clutches are inaction.

37. In a cable railway, the combination of a car having two gripsseparate from one another and a conduit having depression rollers E E.3, as and for the purpose set forth.

38. In a cable railway, a car having brakeshoes, a grip, actuatingmechanism for said shoes and grip, and a cylinder with pistons connectedto the gripactuating mechanism, as and for the purpose set forth.

39. In a cable-motor railway, the combina tion ofa slotted conduit, asmooth cable, supporting-pulleys for the cable journaled in saidconduit, a car having a grip supported independently of the carbody,jaws on said grip having pivoted hearings or supports above the cableand below the conduit slot, and actuating mechanism support-ed upon thecar-body for positively regulating the degree of clamping-pressure ofthe jaws upon the cable and for releasing them therefrom, substantiallyas set forth.

40. In a cable-motor railway, the combiua tion, with a smooth cablehaving supportingpnlleys journalcd in a slotted conduit, a car having agrip supported independently of the can body, one or more jaws for saidgrip hinged or pivoted together within the conduit, and actuatingmechanism for said jaws located upon the car-body, substantially as setforth.

41. A cable-motor car having a clutch, J, formed of two jaws, K K,having pivoted bearings or supports above the cable and below theeonduitslot, and arms K K, extending above the slot, substantially asset forth.

42. A cab]e-motor-railway car having its grip and brake shoes supportedindependently of the car-body and actuating mechanism for the grip andbrake-shoes supported upon the earbod y, substantially as set forth.

43. A eable-motor-railway car having its grip and brake-shoes supportedindependently of the car-body and its grip and brake-shoe operating rodsupported upon said body, substantially as set forth.

44. A cable-motor car having a grip composed of curved jaws pivoted toone another and having extensions K K above said slot, supportingdevices for the grip attached to the truck-frame of the car, andactuating devices for the grip located upon the ear-body, substantiallyas set forth.

45. A cable-motor-railway car having a clutch or grip, J, the jaws K Kof which are pivoted one upon the other above the cable and below theconduit-slot and having exten- 15 sions K K above said slot,substantially as set forth. 7

46. A slotted conduit for cable-railway cars having removable top platesthe slot sides or edges of which are rounded, substantially as 20 RUFUSHARTRANFT.

